Ripley only half-understood, yet she clung to one point:
"But... lowering our pirate flag feels like denying that we're pirates at all."
"The title 'pirate' is nothing to be proud of; why cling to it?"
Charlotte Linlin countered, her tone flat.
The moment the words left her, not only did Ripley freeze, but the surrounding Heavenly Punishment Pirates—who had been celebrating moments earlier—turned to stare in disbelief.
The mighty Captain Linlin they revered like a goddess... disliked the label 'pirate'? Then why had she become one? Why had she led them to become pirates?
Charlotte Linlin's Observation Haki sensed the confusion—and even a hint of crumbling faith—rising in her crew.
Even Ripley, who had only just joined Charlotte Linlin's Pirate Crew, felt the strongest bewilderment at hearing her Captain reject the identity.
She sighed again, gaze sweeping the crowd, and posed a simple question:
"In your eyes, are we pirates?"
"Of course we are!" Ripley answered without hesitation.
"Then, were the people we wiped out—'Bomber' Smyke, for instance—were they pirates?"
"Yes..." Lilith replied this time, voice certain.
"In that case, are we the same as Smyke and his kind? Murderers, arsonists, plunderers—deserving every curse?"
"...No!"
Gölz couldn't help shouting; remembering the atrocities of the pirates whose life spans she'd drained, she shook her head hard.
"We're nothing like them! We're... we're good pirates!"
"See? Even you instinctively divide pirates into 'good' and 'bad.'"
A mocking curve touched Charlotte Linlin's lips.
"The word 'pirate' is just a label the World Government pins on us—a convenient name to define, hunt, and eliminate us."
She paused, letting the words sink in, then continued, her voice gaining a force that pierced the heart:
"If, centuries ago, the first man to sail had been called an 'Adventurer' or a 'Navigator', would we today be the 'Heavenly Punishment Adventurers' instead?"
"If the government of that era had called those raiders 'pirates', would we then be the 'Heavenly Punishment Pirates'?"
"A name is only a designation. The two characters 'hai-zei' carry no innate glory, no innate sin."
What they mean depends on what we do—not on what others call us."
Her gaze grew deep, as if seeing through the fog of history:
"The World Government has ruled these seas for eight hundred years. They say we're 'thieves', so we become 'thieves'. They say the Marines stand for 'justice', so the Marines become 'justice'."
"But if one day everyone claimed our flag was the World Government's banner, would we transform into the World Government's direct force?"
This near 'calling a deer a horse' argument stunned every Crew member; an unprecedented impact swept their hearts.
"Reverse black and white, call a deer a horse—those in power control the narrative. Whatever they decree as truth becomes 'truth'. If enough repeat it, falsehood turns into reality."
She looked around at her thoughtful crew and went on:
"Why do so many ordinary people choose to sail as 'pirates'? Are they born evil?"
No. Often it's because they can't survive—crushing taxes, noble oppression, homelands destroyed by war or by some inexplicable 'justice'!"
It is the World Government and certain Affiliated Nations that first strip them of home and hope!"
The World Government needs enemies—an obvious target to rally internal hatred."
Thus every uncontrolled sailor is branded a 'pirate' and made the symbol of ultimate evil."
They wrap the Marines in 'justice' and define pirates as 'wicked'; this simple binary hides countless bloody truths."
Pirates may not stand for freedom and romance; they can mean chaos and crime. Beneath the Marines' cloak of 'justice' may lurk the dirtiest deals and cruelest atrocities."
Charlotte Linlin's gaze settled on Vina, then swept every Crew member.
What we are isn't decided by a flag or a title, but by our actions—by the bottom line we hold in our hearts."
We sail to protect the family we cherish, to seek our own path and dreams, to gain the strength to say 'no' to injustice—not to live up to a twisted definition of 'pirate'."
So lowering a flag has nothing to do with glory or insult. It's simply a necessary caution—a tactic to achieve our ends."
Our identity, our conviction, is rooted in each of our hearts; it never changes whether the flag flies or falls."
Watching her crew's dawning comprehension, she added with a hint of mockery:
Remember, in this twisted world, 'pirates' may not be pirates at all—just freedom-seeking fugitives or people forced to survive;"
while 'Marines' are far more than Marines: they are enforcers of Celestial Dragon privilege, tools to entrench class rule."
Charlotte Linlin's words hammered their hearts, shattering long-accepted notions and urging them to view the familiar world with new eyes.
Her voice slowed yet hardened as she met every familiar face:
This flag matters—it stands for the reason we gather, for our refusal to be chained. Yet it is never more important than each of you standing here!"
A flag is lifeless; people are alive. To me, Vina's navigation, Ripley's cooking and monstrous strength, Gölz's diligence, Lilith's archery, Gloriosa's companionship—and every smile and trust you give—are a thousand, ten thousand times more precious than any flag or empty title."
Who we are isn't defined by the World Government or by this flag, but by our deeds and by the bonds between us!"
As long as we know what we do and why we fight, it matters nothing whether others call us pirates or something else!"
When her voice fell, the deck fell silent.
Then, as if some emotion had been ignited, every Crew member—including Ripley—blazed with brilliant light in their eyes.
They gazed at Charlotte Linlin, filled with indescribable gratitude, recognition, and a steadfastness they had never felt before.
A surge of devotion—beyond awe for a mighty leader or fondness for a beautiful Captain—rose like faith in their hearts.
For a Captain who could speak such words, who valued every one of them above flag and title—they were willing to give everything!
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